09
Oct
Initiative aims to supply millions of mobiles to women
300 million fewer women than men in developing countries own a mobile, new research has found. A woman living in sub-Saharan Africa is 23% less likely than a man to own a mobile phone. This figure rises to 24% in the Middle East and increases again to 37% for a woman living in South Asia.
A new initiative called mWomen aims to halve this gender gap within three years by providing 150 million women around the world with access to mobile phone technology. Part of the project will involve creating tariffs and handsets specifically for women as well as educating men about the positive aspects of women owning a mobile phone.
Increasing the availability of phones to women will have a huge effect on their ability to set up businesses, become more independent and feel safer.
The project is championed by Cherie Blair who said: “If you help a woman set up a business, you’re not just helping her, you’re helping her children and her family. That has a ripple effect on the wider community.”
